Article holder



Jul le 16, 1953 J F, KELLY 2,642,190

ARTICLE HOLDER Filed Nov. 24, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE v1 2,642,190 ARTICLE HOLDER James F. Kelly, Chicago, Ill Application November 24, 1950, Serial N 0. 197,277

4 Claims. 1.

This invention relates to improvements in a book or merchandise holder, rack or stand and refers particularly to a device of this class which is of relatively light weight and yet strong and rugged; is convenient to use and when used for display purposes is unobtrusive and does not detract from the appearance of the thing displayed.

One of the important features of the present invention resides in the provision of a simply constructed, compact, neat and strong holder, rack or stand which may be constructed of relatively light weight material such as sheet metal, sheet plastic or the like, preferably sheet aluminum.

In constructing a device of the class described of relatively thin sheet material, aluminum for instance, the advantages of lightness inweight, ease of handling and other advantages are secured. However, a device of the character described must also be strong and durable. These desiderata constitute the extreme factors in constructing an ideal holder, rack or stand. If, for instance, no consideration is given to weight, portability and ease of handling, it is a simple matter to construct a strong and durable device, and vice versa, if no consideration is given to strength and durability, it is easy to construct a device of light Weight and inexpensive material.

In constructing the present device both factors have been given due consideration, the problem being solved by the unique structural aspects of my invention.

One of the important aspects of my improved structure resides in the angular relationship of the supporting elements employed whether the device be supported on a horizontal surface or a vertical surface.

Another important aspect of my improved structure resides in the fact that the major stress encountered in supporting a book, box or the like, is applied at right-angles to the thickness and parallel to the face of greatest area of the supporting elements of the device whereby failure due to fatigue, which characterized similar devices heretofore proposed, is eliminated.

The present invention may be used as a holder, rack or stand for supporting merchandise such as'books, candy boxes, stationery boxes, greeting cards and the like for display purposes, or the device may be used as a book holder, typists copy support or the like.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and following detailed description.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of my improved device, a book being shown, in phantom Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view takenon line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of supported on a vertical surface.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I indicates an embodiment of my improved book holder, rack or stand. The device I comprises a rear supporting panel 2 which is adapted, in use, to be disposed in an inclined plane and furnish a rear substantially upright support for a book 3 or any other object which is adapted to be-carried by the holder I. g g

A base panel 4 is integrally connected to the lower edge of the rear panel 2 and is disposed at an angle, preferably a right-angle, to the planeof the rear panel. A front panel 5 is integrally connected to the forward edge of the base panel 5 and is disposed at an angle thereto, preferably a right-angle in which case the front panel isin plane-parallel relationship and offset forwardly from the rear panel 2. The side edges of the base panel 4 are flared outwardly from their connecting points with the rear panel and join with the side edges of the front panel which is of greater width than the rear panel. A-trough or supporting platform 6 is thereby defined by the lower" portion of the rear panel, the base panel 4 and the front panel 5, the lower portion of book 3, a box or other article to be supported being adapted to be confined in said trough.

As one important feature of the present in vention, a pair of supports or ears 1 are formed integral with the .rear panel 2 and extend.rear-, wardly therefrom at an angle to the plane of the panel, the longitudinal axes of the ears being preferable at right-angles to the side edges of the rear panel. The ears 1 when extended rearwardly together with the lowermost edge of the rear panel functions as supports for the rear panel when the device I is carried upona hori zontal supporting surface 8, the rear panel being inclined rearwardly. The ears I are of greater 7 width and length than thickness and are preferably rounded at their rear ends at 12 whereby the supporting surface is contacted by the rounded portions of the ears.

Adjacent the upper portion of the rear panel 2, an inverted keyhole'aperture 9 is provided my device whereby the device I may be suspendedfrom avertical wall Ill upon a nail, screw or other attaching element H. When'the device is used in this fashion, the device is supported essentially by the attaching element II but the rear panel is disposed in an inclined plane by means of the ears I which contact the wall [0.

In this fashion a book, box, plate or other object may be supported at an angle either to the horizontal or the vertical. When used in its horizontal supported position, the device may be used as a displayholder upon a counter, showcase, desk or the like. When carried on a vertical support the device may be used to carry a decorative display or may be used to carry an open book.

The material from which the device I may be constructed may be of sheet form, for instance, sheet metal such as sheet steel, sheet plastic and preferably sheet aluminum. With sheet aluminum employed, I have constructed a book rack having a rear panel of a length of about eight inches, a width of about two and one-half inches; a base panel of about two inches in width and five inches long at its forward edge; and a front panel of about an inch in height, of sheet aluminum of about one thirty-second of an inch in thickness. This size rack accommodates a common size novel or text book. Of course, if

larger books or heavier loads are to be supported the overall dimensions will be increased.

One of the structural features of my device which lends strength and durability to the structure, resides in the fact that the supports or ears 1, which bear a material portion of the load, whether supported upon a horizontal or vertical surface, are so positioned with regard to the application of the load stress as to substantially eliminate bending or flexing, which when dealing with sheet material would quickly cause fatigue of the material. In my device the load stress is applied substantially parallel to the face of greatest area of each of the ears.

Another important feature of my invention resides in the geometrical construction thereof whereby the angle X made by a line drawn from the point of contact of each ear with the supporting surface to the plane of the rear panel and at right-angles thereto, and the line of the supporting surface is within about 50 to 80 and is preferably 65. In addition, the angle Y formed by the vertical surface In and the plane of the rear panel 2 is substantially equal to the angle X. The construction is such that, for a device of predetermined dimensions, the angles X and Y are substantially equal, and as stated hereinbefore this angle is preferably in the neighborhood of 65. If course, it is contemplated that the load carried is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the body of the'object,

such, for instance, as a book or a box of candy,

and that the object extends not over about twenty per cent of its length above the upper edge of the panel 2 when the device is used upon a horizontal support.

. It can readily be seen that herein is provided a holder for books, boxes, plates, greeting cards or the like; the holder being of relatively light weight construction and being so contrived as to have relatively great strength and durability for its intended purpose.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article holder constructed of one-piece sheet material which comprises, a relatively elongated rear panel, a forwardly extending base panel disposed at substantially right-angles to the plane of said rear panel at its lower edge, a front panel disposed at the forward edge of said base panel and substantially parallel to the plane of said rear panel, a pair of integral ears extending rearwardly from said rear panel at opposite side edges of said rear panel, said ears being of greater width and length than thickness and being disposed with their planes at substantially right angles to the plane of said rear panel and the plane of the base panel, the juncture of said ears and said rear panel being spaced from the lower edges of said rear panel, the angle included between the longitudinal axis of an ear and a line drawn from the juncture of the lower edge of the rear panel and the rear edge of the base panel to substantially the end of an ear, and the angle included between a side edge of the rear panel and a line drawn between the upper edge of the rear panel and substantially the end of an ear being substantially equal.

2. An article holder constructed of one-piece sheet material which comprises, a relatively elongated rear panel, a forwardly extending base panel disposed at substantially right-angles to the plane of said rear panel at its lower edge, a front panel disposed at the forward edge of said base panel and substantially parallel to said rear panel, a pair of integral ears extending rearwardly from said rear panel at opposite side edges of said rear panel, said ears being of greater width and length than thickness and the planes of said ears being disposed substantially at right angles to the plane of the rear panel and the plane of the base panel, the juncture of said ears with said rear panel being spaced from the lower edge of said rear panel, the longitudinal axis of said ears being disposed at substantially right angles to said side edges of the rear panel, the angle included between the longitudinal axis of an ear and a line drawn from the juncture of the lower edge of the rear panel and the rear edge of the base panel to substantially the end of an ear, and the angle included between a side edge of the rear panel and a line drawn between the upper edge of the rear panel and substantially the end of an ear being substantially equal and beingbetween about 40 and 10.

3. An article holder constructed of one-piece sheet material which comprises, a relatively elongated rear panel, a forwardly extending unitary base panel disposed at substantially right-angles to the plane of said rear panel at its lower edge, a unitary front panel disposed at the forward edge of said base panel and substantially parallel to said rear panel, a pair of integral ears extending rearwardly from said rear panel at opposite side edges of said rear panel, said ears being relatively elongated and being of greater width and length than thickness and the longitudinal axis of said ears being disposed at substantially right-angles to said respective edges, the planes of said ears beingsubstantially at right angles to the plane of the rear panel and the plane of the base panel, the angle included between the longitudinal axis of an ear and a line drawn from the juncture of the lower edge of the rear panel and the rear edge of the base panel to substantially the end of an ear, and the angle included between a side edge of the rear panel and a line drawn between the upper edge of the rear panel and substantially the end of an car being substantially equal and being about 25.

4. An article holder constructed of one-piece sheet material which comprises, a relatively elongated rear panel, a forwardly extending unitary base panel disposed at substantially right-angles to the plane of said rear panel at its lower edge,

' 5 a unitary front panel disposed at the forward edge of said base panel and substantially parallel to said rear panel, a pair of integral ears extending rearwardly from said rear panel at opposite side edges of said rear panel, said ears being relatively elongated and being of greater width and length than thickness and the longitudinal axis of said ears being disposed at substantially right-angles to said respective edges, the planes of said ears being substantially at right angles to the plane of the rear panel and the plane of said base panel and the juncture of said ears with said rear panel being spaced from the lower edge of said rear panel, the angle of inclination from the horizontal of said rear panel when the lower edge of the rear panel and extending ends of the ears rest upon a horizontal supporting surface being between about 50 and 80 and preferably about 65.

JAMES F. KELLY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

